Hannah's First Birthday

Sorry with the holiday and a trip out of town I didn't have time to post earlier.

We celebrated Hannah's birthday a week late due to Christmas schedules. A friend of my mine made Hannah an adorable outfit. Look at the little princess:

We decided to keep the celebration small so we just invited local family. Grammy and Auntie Kara made a super cute ladybug cake. It was YUMMY and semi healthy. Applesauce cake with real apples, whole wheat flour and cream cheese frosting. Hannah had her own cupcake, but she wasn't sure what to do with it. After feeding her a taste of frosting and breaking off small pieces she began to eat some.

Typical baby enjoyed the wrapping paper and ribbons more than the presents. She is enjoying her toys now though. =) She got a few books, a music cube, a Leap Frog caterpillar, and a special book Grammy made with pictures of the day Hannah was born. It was a fun birthday. Still can't believe my baby is one!!

Twelve Months

We went to the doctor this morning so I'll start with the latest stats.

Weight - 15 lb 9 oz
Height - 28 1/4 inches

If you look back at the nine month blog post you'll notice Hannah has actually lost 2 oz. The doctors weren't overly concerned. Once babies start crawling they burn more calories. So they said to try and get Hannah to eat more at each meal, introduce whole milk, and we go back for a weight check in January. Hannah does enjoy eating so hopefully we can quickly and easily gain what she needs to. The doctor was pleased to see that Hannah is hitting all her developmental milestones (crawling and babbling).

We put up our Christmas tree after Thanksgiving and I was a little worried Hannah would try to pull up on it or yank ornaments off. So I only put soft nonbreakable things within her reach. I am happy to say that she's been a very good girl. She just sat and looked at the tree for almost a week before she did anything. Now she will very gently touch the branches or the ornaments. We have a dancing musical Santa and Rudolph that we put out every year. Hannah absolutely LOVES them. She dances and waves her arms. She knows they play music and will touch and pull on them, but hasn't figured out the on button yet.

Here's the 12 month monkey photo. Monkey is going into retirement, but will return every year for a birthday photo. We are stopping just in time...this month was quite an adventure. Hannah was NOT interesting in sitting next to monkey. As you can see, she clearly had other places to go. =)





This last week was SUPER busy so we haven't actually celebrated Hannah's birthday yet. Grammy, G-Pa, and Auntie Kara are coming over Saturday for a small party. We'll do cupcakes and presents. A friend of mine made her the cutest outfit to wear. We'll take lots of pictures and I'll do a special birthday post next week.

11 Months

Can't believe my baby is almost a year old! Where has the time gone? Hannah FINALLY started crawling about 2 weeks ago. She hasn't figured out that she can crawl from one room to another yet. I do get my exercise chasing her away from the few cords we weren't able to block off. =) She also enjoys pulling up on the furniture or me. She only knows how to get to her knees though...I'm sure she'll be pulling up to her feet before I know it.

Hannah is working on her top front teeth. One has broken through the gum and the other is just below the surface. These teeth have been SO SLOW to come in. It seems like she's had an off an on runny nose and whineyness for over a month. Hopefully the last one will break through soon and she'll feel better. Hannah is such a sweetie that she tries to be happy even if she doesn't feel her best.

We're in the copycat stage now. So cute! Hannah will shake her head, clap her hands, make a kissy (fishy) face, and crinkle her nose. She also babbles quite a bit. She hasn't associated any sounds with objects or people yet though. She can say: ba, da, ma, g, and ay ya.

No smiles for the monkey photo this month...teething. Still a cutie though! =)


Stay tuned for next month's birthday celebration. =)

Ten Months

This has been a fun month! Hannah has entered the copy cat stage. She likes to imitate sounds and shake her head. She has always loved music, but just recently starting dancing along. SUPER CUTE!

Mom and I took Hannah to the Dallas Arboretum for their annual pumpkin patch. She had fun watching other children, trying to eat her tiny pumpkin, and touching the straw. We think she was the cutest "pumpkin" there.

Since the weather FINALLY cooled off a little we've enjoyed being outdoors. There's a great park in our neighborhood with a small playground. Hannah loves the swings, but is not too sure about the slide.

Hannah's personality is definitely beginning to show. We got several cute shots with monkey this month. I can't decide which is my favorite so I decided to post them all. Which one do you like best?

Nine Months

Sorry this is a little late. We had issues taking our monkey photo this month. Hannah suddenly developed a fear of the monkey. She would take one look at him and CRY!
We spent all of last week playing with the monkey and reminding Hannah that he wasn't scary. Not sure where her fear came from, but glad she's likes her "friend" again. Note to self...spend time each week with the monkey so as not to repeat this experience. =)

Hannah also had her nine month check up last week. She is still on the small side (only 5th percentile for weight) but overall healthy. She is 15 pounds 11 ounces and 27 inches long. We just recently grew into size 6 month clothes. =) I was a small baby so I'm not worried and if she weighs less then she's lighter to carry!

We've added a few new pureed food this month: apples and peaches. Hannah is also enjoying finger food: cheerios, cheese, bread, puffs(gerber puffed rice cereal), blueberries (don't seem to like them), and grapes (still not sure about these either). We just recently finished off our frozen pureed carrots and peas so I plan to steam more and cut them small for her to feed herself.

Last but not least....the successful monkey photo:

Photo Sessions and Out Takes

So many people comment on all the cute photos of Hannah. I am so thankful for all the great memories we've captured! Thanks mom!!! She is very talented and has been practicing. However, we usually take 50-100 photos in order to get ONE really good one. Babies are HARD to photograph!!! I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the rejects or as we like to call them out takes!
HELP! The monkey is attacking me!


I'd rather eat my bow than wear it!

I'm going away now... you've taken enough photos!


Hannah just recently became interested in the monkey. She was pulling on his arms and picking off the fur. Silly girl!

Eight Months

Yet another month has flown by. Here's what we've been up to...



We've done lots of swimming at Grammy and G-Pa's, of course who doesn't want to be in the pool when it's almost 100 or above outside. Hannah is doing really well in the water. She likes to splash, ride in her ducky boat (a present from Grammy) and I've actually dunked her twice. That always surprises her, but she hasn't cried. =) We even invited several mommy friends and their little ones to come swimming. It was lots of fun! Here's Hannah and her friend Pete checking each other out.


My grandma also came to visit for a few days. She lives in Arizona so this was her first time meet Hannah. We enjoyed spending time with her and hope to see her again soon. We made sure to take a four generation photo while GG was here.


Hannah is still not crawling yet, but she does enjoy scooting around on the floor. She's really good at going in a circle and backwards. She REALLY wants to go forward and gets frustrated when she can't. We've tried lots of new food in the last month too: peas, green beans, carrots, pears, bananas, avocados, yogurt, and we'll try peaches this week. She's enjoying everything she tries and I'm still liking making baby food.

Hannah has 2 bottom teeth that are big enough to see when she smiles. And I think she's working on another one because she hasn't quite been herself for the last week. We head back to the doctor in 3 weeks for another check up (and more shots). Stay tuned for the latest stats.

Seven Months

Wow! I can't believe another month has gone by. It really feels like just yesterday Hannah was still in my tummy and I couldn't wait to meet her. =) This is such a fun age...it seems like Hannah is learning or discovering something almost every day.

She is doing really well on eating her solid food. She's tried rice cereal, oatmeal, and butternut squash and we're going to try sweet potatoes today. I have several friends who have chosen to make their own baby food so I thought I'd give it a try too. I've only done two veggies so far, but it's not hard and DEFINITELY cheaper.

Hannah now has one tooth. She ran a low grade fever, had a runny nose, and was kinda whiny for about a week, but she was a trooper. Thankfully she still slept well! I would also call her a "sitter" now. She stays upright for a LONG time before she topples over. She enjoys rolling and scooting around on the floor too. She's not crawling yet, but I think she wants to go somewhere. Then I get to chase her around the house...fun!

I guess that's about all the news for now. Here's this month's monkey photo. What a cutie!!

New Pictures

As promised here's a few photos from the last few weeks. Hannah decided to show off one of her new tricks in this month's monkey photo. She doesn't quite have sitting up mastered, but she doesn't lean on things for support as often.
You can't read the words on her shirt so we added them as a photo caption. I bought this shirt about a year before I got pregnant. Nathan LOVES all things monkey and I thought it was too cute.

We've taken Hannah swimming twice now. She doesn't love the water yet, but there were less tears the second time than the first. I'm determined to make he like the water so we'll be in the pool often. Luckily Grammy and G-Pa have a pool and only live 20 minutes away!

At least she looks cute in her swimming gear! I'll have to post more pics soon that show off the whole swimsuit.

Six Months

This has been a busy month for us. Last week we drove to Arkansas for a weekend trip. We wanted to introduce Hannah to Nathan's family and friends. She did a great job riding in the car and napping in strange places. Of course, she charmed everyone she met and even shared a few smiles. =)

We also started rice cereal last week. As you can see from the picture below she wasn't sure what to make it the first day. Since then she's done really well. We're still in the exploring stage where more cereal ends up on her face and hands than in her tummy. But she's getting the hang of it.

We've had a few play dates with friends and we went to Grammy and G-Pa's for a cookout. It's been hot for several weeks now and we've been dreaming of swimming. The pool is finally warm enough so we're going to Grammy's this week to try out the water. Hopefully Hannah will enjoy splashing and floating in her chair.

We saw the doctor this morning and everything still looks great. Here's the latest stats:
Weight: 13 pounds 14 ounces
Length: 25 1/2 inches
Head: 16 1/2 inches

She's slowed down a little, but the doctor isn't concerned. Once she's really eating her cereal and starts veggies she'll catch up. She also got 3 shots today, but calmed down as soon as I picked her up. I'll post swimming pictures and her six month monkey photo soon!

Five Months

Hannah is five months old today. She continues to be a very happy and good natured baby. As you can see in the photo below she likes to give smiles when you talk to her.

Last week we enjoyed a trip to the arboretum with my mom, a friend and her little boy. The weather was beautiful and Hannah seemed to have fun being outdoors. Here's one of the photos from that day.

Nathan and I are so thankful that my parents live in this area and are willing to babysit from time to time. On Saturday Hannah gets to spend the whole day with Grammy and G-Pa while Nathan and I go with Kara, my sister, and her students to Six Flags. This will be the longest we've ever been away from Hannah so hopefully she'll be a good girl!!

We don't go back to the doctor until Hannah's 6 month check up so I'll update again then, unless something really exciting happens.

Four Months Old

Well another month has gone by all to fast. We saw the doctor this morning so here's the latest stats: 8 1/2 pounds and 25 inches long. She's been very consistent in her growth...still in the 75th percentile for height, 25th percentile for weight, and 50th percentile for head measurement. Poor baby also got four shots while we were there. =(

Hannah is doing great. She is a FANTASTIC sleeper!! She typically sleeps 10 hours at night and takes 3 to 4 naps during the day as well. While she's awake we play with a few toys, read books, and listen to music or mommy singing. She loves music and often tries to sing along! I am so thankful to be able to stay home with her. We have lots of fun together!

We also enjoy having my parents close by. Hannah and I have a "Grammy Day" about every other week. Grammy LOVES our visits and Hannah makes a good subject for her new hobby photography. In fact just about all the photos that I post have been taken by her. Thanks Grammy!

I had to share the latest monkey photo. Can't believe she almost comes up to the monkey's ear now.

Hannah's Dedication

On March 14 we had a baby dedication for Hannah at church. It was a sweet time when the pastor prayed for her. You would never know it by looking at the pictures, but she was sick with her cold. She did a great job and didn't cry or sneeze while on stage. =) The BEAUTIFUL dress she's wearing was smocked by my mom. She started making it as soon as we found out we were having a girl.

My parents and sister skipped services at their home churches to be here for this special memory. Before the service started the church photographer took this photo.

This was taken by my mom during the service. It's hard to get good photos in the sanctuary because it's really dark.

A Few Firsts

Hannah caught her first cold last week. =( She was all stuffy and had a yucky cough, but her chest has stayed clear. Thankfully she's been been pretty happy and not overly fussy. She is almost totally well now, just a little cough left. Hopefully that goes away in the new few days.

Hannah's newest trick is rolling over. She's been working on this for a few weeks and finally figured it out on Thursday. She still seems surprised when she ends up on her back. Cute! Here's a link to the video is you want to watch.

This is how Hannah rolls! http://twitvid.com/18FD3

I can't believe how big she's getting! It seems like just yesterday she was born.

Three Months Old

Here's this month's photo with the monkey:


Also thought you might enjoy this video of Hannah and Nathan "talking." Too cute!

No Hip Brace For Me

I took Hannah back to the hospital yesterday afternoon for them to take another look at her hips. Sadly, there was a scheduling mix up and we waited for two hours before being seen. GRRR! But, the wait was worth it have have the doctor give us a normal report. =) The specialist was right and Hannah's left hip tightened on it's own after another month of growing. We are very thankful for the good report!!

I don't have an photos to post today, but my mom took some adorable videos the other day. As soon as I get copies of them I'll have Nathan help me post them. Thanks for reading!

Two Months Old

I wanted to update on Hannah's appointment with the specialist. I REALLY liked this doctor! He said based on a physical exam, her hips feel completely normal. Then he read the sonogram report which said the left hip showed mild dysplasia. He asked why the sonogram was ordered: because she was breech and my mom was born with hip dysplasia. He asked how my mom was treated and I told him that she wore a brace for about 8 months. He recommended repeating the sonogram at the beginning of March. He feels like it will most likely be normal and Hannah's left hip will have tightened on it's own. However, if it has stayed the same or has gotten worse then he wants us to schedule another appointment and he will recommend a brace. Nathan and I feel like this is a very balanced approach. We were also pleased to learn that the radiologist that did her sonogram has been doing his job for MANY years and the specialist think he's a wonderful doctor. He completely trusts his opinion and wrote a request on the order for the repeat sonogram that the same radiologist do this sonogram too. I'll let you know the results of that sonogram when it's completed.

Just a few other random things before I close this post. We had a record 12 inches of snow last week. Nathan still had to work so we didn't get to make a snowman. =( My parents made one and we took our photo with her instead.


Since Hannah was two months old on Friday it was also time to take her photo with the stuffed monkey again. Look how much she's grown.

Eight Weeks

Wow! The last few weeks have been really busy. Hannah had the sonogram done of her hips. Her right hip is normal and the left hip shows mild dysplasia when rotated inward. Our doctor seems to think it will most likely tighten on it's own. However, we would like to see a specialist just to make sure she doesn't need a brace. I called and got that appointment scheduled for Thursday morning.

She had her 8 week check up this morning and got 3 of the 4 shots. There is a shortage of one and so we have to go to the health department to get it. I decided 3 shots were enough for one day and we'd get the other one tomorrow. =(

Hannah is now 9 lbs 13 oz (25th percentile) and 23 1/4 inches long (75th percentile). I think she's going to be tall like her daddy. =) She is starting to sleep longer and will often go 5 or 6 hours between feedings at night. I got the official OK from the doctor today to stop waking her up at night to feed. Yeah! We'll see if she'll sleep longer than 6 hours. She has been tracking objects for a few weeks now and is also cooing. Nathan and I enjoy "talking" with her. I think she's going to smile any day now because I've caught many attempts.

A few weeks ago my mom and I had a friend from church come and take some sleepy photos of Hannah before she got too big. Sandra (http://www.sandraedwards.net/) did a great job. Here's some of our favorites:



Hope you enjoyed the photos. I'll post another update in a few days about our appointment with the specialist and more photos.

6 Week Check Up

Hannah went back to the doctor today and got a great report. She now weighs 9 lbs 1 oz and is 22 3/4 in long. We can finally stop supplementing with formula. YEAH! I think it may take her a few days to get used to not receiving a bottle every feeding. That means she really has to stay awake and eat the whole time. =) I'm sure she'll figure it out though.

Since Hannah was born breech they recommend getting a sonogram of her hips to check for hip dysplasia. Our doctor wrote the order today and I just have to call and schedule the appointment. We go back to the doctor in two weeks for an 8 week check up and 4 shots.

This past weekend Nathan and I enjoyed a visit from his dad. Mike lives in Arkansas and was finally able to come a meet Hannah. It was a short visit, but we enjoyed having him!

Look How I've Grown

Hannah is 4 weeks old today. We thought it was time to take another picture with the stuffed monkey. Look how big she's getting! She is still REALLY hard to keep awake during feeding so if you're looking for something specific to pray for we'd appreciate it.

1 Week
4 Weeks

Finally Gaining Weight

Hannah went back to the doctor today and I am happy to report that she has finally surpassed her birth weight. She is now 7 lb 12 oz. Hannah is such a sleepy thing that she just wasn't eating well. Last week we started supplementing with 1 oz of formula at each feeding. The first few days were really rough and she seemed pretty confused. We are in a good routine now though. Our doctor said to keep doing what we're doing until our 6 week check up. If she's still gaining good then we can stop supplementing and go to 4 hr feedings at night. Also the jaundice is completely gone. Glad to have lots of good news to report. Thanks for the continued prayers.

Thought I'd include a photo too. Enjoy!